Public Events and Lectures

Increasing awareness of human rights strengthens and invigorates efforts for change. One of our most important programs is our annual series of public lectures, workshops and roundtables featuring experts from Australia and overseas. Papers, audio and video recordings of our public lectures are posted below.

2012

Symposium - Recent developments concerning the Convention on the Rights of the Child
This informative and thought-provoking event will bring together some of Australia's leading child rights advocates, academics and organisations.  It will be an invaluable occasion for those working or studying in the area, as well as anyone with an interest in children's rights.
24 April 2012 

The Relevance of the Convention Against Torture in Preventing and Redressing Violence Against Women
Claudio Grossman, Chair, United Nations Committee Against Torture and Fiona McCormack, CEO, Domestic Violence Victoria
22 February 2012

Aid and Accountability: Safeguarding Rights in High-Risk Development Projects
Bridges Across Borders Cambodia (BABC) will present the findings of its forthcoming report, DERAILED, A Study on the Resettlement Impacts of the Rehabilitation of the Cambodian Railway
13 February 2012

2011

Are States meeting their responsibilities to trafficked persons?
Annual Lecture by Ms Joy Ezeilo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
28 November 2011

Momcilovic v R: The High Court's Views on the Constitutionality and Operation of the Victorian Charter
Panelists James Stellios of ANU College of Law and Dr Julie Debeljak of the Castan Centre
10 October 2011

The High Court and Refugee Policy: Implications and International Comparisons
Panelists Dr Susan Kneebone, Maria O'Sullivan and Professor James Walter
14 September 2011

Religion and Society in Indonesia after the Cikeusik Murders
Panelists Professor Dr Dadang Kahmad, Professor Dr Asep Saepul Muhtadi and Mr Hendar Riyadi
29 August 2011

The Victorian Charter of Fundamental Rights: a case of inappropriate transplants?
Dr Angela Ward of the Bar Council, Law Library of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
18 August 2011

Victor's Justice: Selecting the Targets of International Tribunals
Professor William A. Schabas, Director Irish Centre for Human Rights and Chair in Human Rights Law, National University of Ireland, Galway
A Holding Redlich Distinguished Visiting Fellow
1 June 2011

Western Sahara: Living Dangerously Under Moroccan Occupation
Aicha Dahane is an International Officer of the Forum for the Future for Saharawi Women (Western Sahara). Dr Benjamin MacQueen is the Deputy Director of the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University
10 May 2011

Perspectives on the International Intervention in Libya
Panelists Professor Donald R Rothwell, Associate Professor Gideon Boas and Jeff Sparrow.
20 April 2011

Will the Revolution be Tweeted?  The Role of Social Media in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
Panelists Sarah Joseph, Sam McLean, Jonathan Green and Alex Pagliaro discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of social media to promote and protect human rights
5 April 2011

Business and Human Rights at Home and Abroad: an Update on the Work of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights
Vanessa Zimmerman, Legal Advisor to Professor John Ruggie the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights
1 April 2011

International Humanitarian Law and the Young Lawyer
Career forum with students who undertook internships at international criminal tribunals
16 March 2011

Preying on the Poor: "Vulture Funds", Foreign Debt and Human Rights in Developing Countries
Dr Cephas Lumina is the UN Independent Expert on the Effects of Foreign Debt and other Related Financial Obligations on Human Rights
10 February 2011

2010

Money and Politics: Why it Matters to Human Rights
Dr Joo-Cheong Tham is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. Sam Mclean is the Communications and Campaigns Director at GetUp.org.au
4 November 2010

Victorian State Election Human Rights Forum
Human rights forum with Shadow Victorian Attorney-General and Liberal Member for the State seat of Box Hill Robert Clark MP and Greens candidate for the State seat of Melbourne Brian Walters SC. Moderated by Damien Carrick presenter of The Law Report on ABC Radio National
9 September 2010

A matter of leadership: the AFL on the field and in the community
Annual Lecture by Andrew Demetriou the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League
17 August 2010

The rise and rise of targeted assassinations, and the implications for international law
Professor Philip Alston is UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Special Adviser to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Millennium Development Goals
19 May 2010

Geeks versus gag orders: has censorship been privatised?
Julian Assange is an activist, journalist, and the editor of WikiLeaks.com
13 May 2010

R v Momcilovic: Human Rights Victory or Individual Injustice?
Michael Croucher, a member of the Victorian Bar and represented Vera Momcilovic
28 April 2010 

How gender can affect progress towards the UN's Millennium Development Goals
Nana Oye Lithur, Chief Executive Director, Human Rights Advocacy Centre, Gana
14 April

Human Rights in South Africa Today
George Bizos SC, one of South Africa's leading human rights lawyers
5 March 2010

Iran: Between the Sovereignty of God and Sovereignty of People
Professor Amin Saikal, Director, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University
17 February 2010

Out to Sea: Refugee Policy Under the Rudd Government
Jessie Taylor, Melbourne lawyer and refugee advocate
11 February 2010

2009

The ICJ in the contemporary world of Human Rights
Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE QC, Retired President of the International Court of Justice
A Holding Redlich Distinguished Visiting Fellow
8 December

Indigenous Birth Registration and Birth Certificates Symposium
Organised by Dr Paula Gerber and Ms Melissa Castan
1 December 2009 

A human rights roadmap: Has the constitutional protection of economic, social and cultural rights worked in South Africa?
Professor Hugh Corder, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town
4 November

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Can Australians learn from Maori experiences or are we following completely separate paths?
Nin Tomas, Auckland University
29 October

War reporting, international humanitarian law and the legacy of Balibo
Tony Maniaty, journalist, author and consultant on the movie Balibo
15 October

Native Title for Sale
David Ritter, Indigenous rights lawyer
21 September

Responding to Genocide
Annual Lecture by Justice Thomas Buergenthal
27 August

China's Treatment of its Uighur Minority
Ms Rebiya Kadeer, Leader of the World Uighur Congress
7 August

Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
Hosted by the Castan Centre at the Monash Cinema, Clayton
6 August

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A New International Order for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
Ms Tina Minkowitz, Co-Chair, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and founder of the Center for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry.
3 June

The Doha Round and its implications (success or failure) for developing countries
Professor Frank Garcia, Law Faculty Boston College, Director - Law & Justice in the Americas Program
31 March

The Current State of International Criminal Justice
Justice Richard Goldstone
3 March

Can the UN Combat Racism? A preview of the Durban Review Conference
Speakers: Richard Clarke, Human Rights Officer in the Anti Discrimination Unit of the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, Geneva; Andrea Durbach, Director, Australian Human Rights Centre; and Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
20 February

2008

What Does the US Election Signify?
Mr Waleed Aly, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University.
18 November

How human are Indigenous people in human right discourse?
Professor Marcia Langton, Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, University of Melbourne
Co-hosted with Mallesons Stephen Jaques
22 October

A Unique Insight into East Timor
Kirsty Sword Gusmão
9 September

Habeas Corpus, Procedural Rights, and Fundamental Law
Professor Larry May, Washington University, St Louis, USA
4 September 2008

The Great Enterprise
Annual Lecture by Mr John Pace, Chief of the UN Human Rights Office in Iraq from 2004-2006.
22 August 2008

DRIP Symposium
The Castan Centre proudly hosted five leading commentators on International and Australian Indigenous Affairs, discussing the impact of the recent United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
20 August 2008

Subverting Law and Liberty? The House of Lords, Control Orders and the UK Human Rights Act
Dr Joo-Cheong Tham, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne Law School
5 August 2008
A published article on which his lecture was based.

A Journey into Zimbabwe: Defining moments in a period of change
Dominik Vukovic
23 July 2008

Incentives for Pharmaceutical Research - Must they exclude the global poor from advanced medicines?
Professor Thomas Pogge, Columbia University and Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University
1 April 2008
Powerpoint presentation
An essay that overlaps the above topic
Professor Pogge's website: http:// www.patent2.org/

2007

Human Trafficking Forum: The Reality in Australia
Co-hosted with the Young Lawyers' Section, Law Institute of Victoria
Speakers: Jennifer Burn, University of Technology Sydney; Judge Michael McInerney, County Court; Marie Segrave, Monash University; Christine Carolan, The Australian Catholic Religious Against Human Trafficking; and Sharon Watts, Department of Immigration and Citizenship
12 December 2007

Habeas Corpus and Guantanamo Bay
Professor Timothy Endicott, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford
12 November 2007

Is the Common Law still relevant for Indigenous Australians? A Canadian Perspective
Professor Brad Morse, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
16 October 2007

Unfinished Business: Women's Rights in Afghanistan
Dr Sima Samar, Chairperson, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission
and UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan
1 October 2007
Dr Simar is in Australia as a guest of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Refugees, Asylum Seekers and the Rule of Law
Roundtable, Monash University Law Chambers
11 August 2007

The Charter of Human Rights and the European Experience
Rabinder Singh QC, London Bar
'The Impact of the Human Rights Act in the UK'
Dr Angela Ward, London Bar
'The Impact of EU membership on fundamental rights protection in the UK'
2 August 2007

The Middle Way: A peaceful approach to resolving conflict
Annual Lecture by His Holiness The Dalai Lama
8 June 2007
Co-hosted with Australia Tibet Council

Ethical Minefields in Acting for the Tobacco Industry
Jonathan Liberman, Director of Law and Regulation, VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control, Cancer Council of Victoria
29 March 2007

The Insidious Erosion of the Prohibition of Torture
Sir Nigel Rodley, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
26 February 2007

The End of Poverty
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University
7 February 2007

Human Rights Challenges in Trying Grave Crimes
Judge Howard Morrison QC OBE, International Criminal Law Expert
A Holding Redlich Distinguished Visiting Fellow

2006

Effective Leadership and Development in Indigenous Communities
Dr Manley Begay Jr, Director, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona
23 October 2006

The Ideology of Native Title
David Ritter, Law Faculty, University of Western Australia
18 October 2006

Human Rights in the Pacific: A study in Symbolic Interactionism
Annual Lecture by Dr Shaista Shameem, Director, Fiji Human Rights Commission
6 October 2006

The Responsibility of States for Violations of Human Rights by TNCs Overseas
Professor Robert McCorquodale, Head of the Law School, University of Nottingham
13 September 2006

A Bill of Rights in an Age of Fear
Don Chipp Colloquium
25 August 2006

A Bill of Rights in an Age of Fear
Professor Conor Gearty, Rausing Director, Centre for the Study of Human Rights
11 May 2006
Professor Gearty's paper delivered at the Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Public Lecture

Boatloads of Extinguishment Forum
Julian Burnside QC and David Manne, Victorian Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre
5 May 2006
David Manne paper

The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health: Opportunities and Challenges
Professor Paul Hunt, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
1 May 2006

The Significance of Mabo for Australia and the World
Public lecture by Professor Peter H Russell, University of Toronto, Canada
7 March 2006

2005

Multiculturalism and 'the war on terror'
Public lecture by Mr Petro Georgiou MP
18 October 2005

Suing into Submission: Using Litigation to Quell Dissent
Public lecture by Mr Brian Walters, SC, President of Liberty Victoria and Vice-President of Free Speech Victoria.
9 August 2005

Under Siege: Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe
Annual lecture by Mr David Coltart, Shadow Minister for Justice, Zimbabwe
27 July 2005
David Coltart information page
Transcript of 2005 Gerard Brennan speech delivered at Bond University

Same Sex Marriage Forum
Speakers:
Mr Grevis Beard, Senior Complaints Officer for the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria. 
Associate Professor Kristen Walker, Associate Professor of Law, University of Melbourne and Barrister. 
Professor Raimond Gaita, Professor of Moral Philosophy at King's College University of London and Professor of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University.
26 May  2005

In Defence of Defence
Phoebe Knowles, Legal Assistant to a Defence Lead Counsel at the Special Court for Sierra Leone from June - December 2004.
14 April 2005

2004

Promoting Human Rights in Hostile Environments: Fighting for Labour & Human Rights in Colombia
Alirio Uribe Munoz, Collective Lawyers JAR
13 October 2004

The UN Commission on Human Rights & Australia
Ambassador Mike Smith, Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights
2 September 2004

East Timor, a UN success model in Nation-building? 
Annual Lecture by Dr Jose Ramos Horta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Democratic Republic of East Timor
13 August 2004

The Role of Human Rights in Corporate Social Responsibility 
Public lecture by Sune Skadegaard Thorsen, Partner, Skadegaard Thorsen Law Firm, Denmark
7 July 2004

A fair place in our own country: Indigenous Australians, Land Rights and the Australian Economy
Public lecture by Noel Pearson, Team Leader of the Cape York Partnerships initiative
2 June 2004

The Development of International Indigenous Rights
Public lecture by Professor Erica-Irene Daes, currently United Nations Special Rapporteur on Permanent Sovereignty Over Natural Resources. Professor Daes was the Chair and Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations from 1984-2002.
27 May 2004

Business and Human Rights
Public lecture by Professor David Weissbrodt, University of Minnesota, USA
3 May 2004
Paper based on article in 97 AJIL 901 (2003)

Children in Immigration Detention: the policy, the practice and the prognosis – workshop
2 April 2004
Speakers:
Dr Sev Ozdowski, Human Rights Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Julian Burnside QC
Paris Aristotle, Director, Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture
Dr Susan Kneebone, Monash University
Adiva Sifris, Monash University
Tania Penovic, Monash University
*Some papers from this workshop were subsequently published in the Alternative Law Journal Vol 29 No 5 October 2004*

2003

Protecting Human Rights: Parliament v The Courts
Public debate - speakers Senator Marise Payne, Chair, Human Rights Sub Committee Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; and Tony Pagone QC.
12 November 2003

The Role of the UN After Iraq: International Security and Human Rights
Third Annual Castan Centre Lecture, by Kevin Rudd MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
25 August 2003

Human Rights in an Age of Terrorism  
Public Lecture by Ivan Shearer, Challis Professor of International Law, University of Sydney
3 June 2003

When All Else Fails: The Practicalities of Seeking Protection of Human Rights Under International Treaties 
Public Lecture by Nicholas Poynder, Barrister, New South Wales
8 April 2003

The International Criminal Court: Instrument of Peace or Punishment? 
Public Lecture by Cherie Booth QC, Matrix Chambers, UK
16 April 2003

How Humanitarian is Australia's Humanitarian Program? The Case of Stateless Asylum Seekers
Speakers: Associate Professor Susan Kneebone, Faculty of Law, Monash University, Hoi Trinh, Refugee Lawyer, Vietnamese Community of Australia and Julian Burnside QC, Barrister; Patron for Australians for Just Refugee Programs
12 March 2003

Corporations, Human Rights and Transnational Litigation 
Public Lecture by Richard Meeran, Leigh Day & Co, UK
29 January 2003

2002

Holding Multinational Corporations Responsible for Human Rights Abuses
Occasional Lecture by Justine Nolan, Director, Workers Rights Program at the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights in New York.
5 September 2002

Mabo: Ten Years On: Small Step or Giant Leap? 
Second Annual Castan Centre Lecture, by Senator Aden Ridgeway, Deputy Leader, Australian Democrats 3
June 2002

Globalization and the New Economy: Implications for Labour Law
Public Lecture by Professor Harry Arthurs, Osgoode Hall, Law School, York University, Toronto.
27 March 2002

The Practical Implementation of Australia's International Human Rights Policy: a view from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Occasional Lecture by Eric Van Der Wal, Director, Human Rights and Indigenous Issues Section, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
10 April 2002

US Military Tribunals – Measured Response or Overreaction?
Occasional Lecture by Donald P. Arnavas, Attorney and Law Professor, Washington D.C.
18 April 2002

Reflections on the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa
Occasional Lecture by Brendon Christian, Provincial Co-ordinator, AIDS Legal Network of South Africa.
24 April 2002

2001

The Refugees Convention 50 Years On: Globalisation and International Law - workshop
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Refugee Convention
8 - 9 June 2001

Fighting the Death Penalty
Occasional Lecture by Clive Stafford Smith OBE, Director, Louisiana Crisis Assistance Centre, New Orleans
16 May 2001

Human Rights in Regulating the Global Economy 
Inaugural Annual Castan Centre Lecture, by Professor Philip Alston of the European University Institute, Florence
28 March 2001

2000

Making a Real Difference to Human Rights
Public forum - speaker The Hon Alexander Downer, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs; respondent Dennis Grant, Bureau Chief, SBS TV.
20 November 2000

Launch of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law
Speaker: The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC, CMG
31 October 2000